US blocks Congo citizens from commercial flights amid Ebola

The United States has implemented a new travel restriction blocking American citizens in the Democratic Republic of Congo from returning home on commercial flights, officials announced on July 13, 2026. The order, enacted under a federal transportation authority, places U.S. citizens currently in Congo or who have recently departed the country on a "do-not-board" list, preventing them from flying directly to the United States until they have spent at least 21 days in a third country without developing symptoms.

This significant policy shift comes amid a widening and severe Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo. According to official data from July 12, the outbreak has caused 1,926 confirmed cases and 702 deaths. The outbreak, first declared on May 15, 2026, is now the third largest on record and is driven by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there is no approved vaccine or proven treatment. The World Health Organization declared the situation a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17.

A U.S. official stated that approximately two dozen Americans were scheduled to board flights to the U.S. on July 14 and will now be affected by the new rule. The State...